The House of Assembly has passed a Bill through which the government is seeking to have all visitors to the British Virgin Islands (BVI) start paying $10 into a fund that is yet to be established.

The Bill, which is entitled Environmental Protection and Tourism Improvement Fund Act 2017, was passed with amendments yesterday, April 18.

However, those amendments are not yet clear to the press as final changes to Bills are done in private.

Before lawmakers went behind closed doors to add their finishing touches to the Bill, they debated the proposed law in the open House of Assembly.

Premier Dr D Orlando Smith, who piloted the Bill, explained that the fees will be charged in tickets.

According to Clause 3 of the Bill, “An environmental levy at the rate of $10 shall be levied on and payable by each visitor arriving in the Virgin Islands by air or sea. A specified sum of money shall be included in the cost of a ticket collected by the owner, master or any agent for any vessel, or by any person through whom passengers are brought into the Virgin Islands.”

Premier Smith

Clause four of the Bill, in the meantime, outlines the purposes for which the money collected should be used.

“The minister shall direct that the monies of the fund be applied towards activities related to environmental protection improvement, climate change and other matters affecting the environment, the maintenance and development of tourism sites and other tourism-related activities throughout the territory, and the marketing of the territory as a premier tourist destination,” said the Bill, as read by Premier Smith.

Contributing to the debate, Opposition lawmakers Julian Fraser and Andrew Fahie cautioned against the government’s appetite for price increases, adding that such hikes may discourage visitors from coming to the BVI.

They also wondered if persons who will collect the new fee in tickets will ensure it is paid over to the Government. “When you talk about the owner of a carrier collecting the government money, you not going to get it,” Fraser said. He, as well as Fahie, think the fee should be paid directly to the government’s Ports Authority officers at ports of entry.

Julian Fraser. File photo

Fraser, in the meantime, stated that the purposes for which the new levy will be spent are too broad.

“The categories are broad; they are not conclusive; they are just broad…. Very little of it (levy collected) will go towards the environment unless it’s specified here in the Act what percentage of it shall go towards the environment… And I do not agree that it (a portion of the new fee) should go towards the promotion of tourism,” Fraser further reasoned.

Penalty for not paying over

Responding to the concerns, Premier Smith said he does not think the $10 will be too onerous for visitors.

“In many cases, especially in Europe, a similar fee is applied daily for each day of the visit. But, here in the BVI, it should be a one-off fee for the visit,” he said.

Premier Smith also noted that a penalty is proposed in the Bill for the operators of airlines, ferries and other carriers who collect the environmental levy from visitors, but refuse to pay them over to Government.

Junior Minister of Tourism Archibald Christian, also noted the penalties. He said the government’s Financial Secretary will have the power to seize the ferry or any other carrier belonging to the offender until the funds collected from visitors are paid over.

“And the master or owner of the vessel would be liable to a fine not exceeding $5,000 in addition to the amount of the levy [not paid over t Government],” Christian further said while making reference to the proposed law.

Residents should pay too – Christian

Christian, in further contributing to the debate, said he thinks tourists would be willing to pay the additional $10.

He also stated that, if it were up to him, residents would also be required to pay the environmental levy.

“If anyone will argue that a tourist is going to complain about making a contribution towards a fund that will ensure that whenever they arrive at this destination that their experience would be second to none, then I think that person would be fooling themself. I haven’t come across a visitor yet that has indicated they don’t mind paying…” Christian said.

He added: “If I had my way; if it were me alone crafting this bill – but its not me alone – this bill would have some contribution to be paid by us as well; we who reside here. But, for today, it’s about tourism and the environment..”

Christian

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61 Comments

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The big risk is that this fee raises virtually no money (especially if they exclude cruise ship visitors and residents), but is costly and burdensome to collect.

Then you just create even more hassles for our tourist visitors but for virtually no upside.

If we are going to have this levy at all (which I question) it is imperative that it be collected automatically rather than having our visitors stand in yet another queue to see yet another civil servant and pay yet another fee.

How much have they just spent in buying diesel generators to burn fossil fuels to produce power? And then there’s the open burning of plastics and all sorts of devastating toxic materials next door in Pockwood pond’s “open incenerator”

I’ll let you into a little secret NDP, the tourists can see all this and will wonder why the investments aren’t going into wind or solar power generation or are we lacking in regular sun or wind here?

This government seems confused about what causes climate change or perhaps it is a conspiracy made up by the Chinese?

So because these vistors, majority being tourists, they pushing for destroying the environment locals have to pay as well? Go take a seat please we already paying all the heafty taxes you forced us into.

The water, historical sites, national parks, beaches………..etc are used for the pleasure and enjoyment of residents and visitors. The water(sea) are a major draw for both stay over guests, cruise passengers and bare boaters. As such, the environmental resources must be protected and preserved to serve as a long-term tourist attraction, as well as for the use and enjoyment of current Virgin Islanders and Virgin Islanders yet unborn.

Undoubtedly, users of the environmental resources must pay for their protection, preservation, maintenance, repair……….etc. Invariably, what happens in under- developed countries with limited resources and no protection and preservation strategy and operations is that the resources are exploited, stressed, polluted, unprotected and not preserved, resulting in the resources losing their appeal to tourists. When resources can no longer provide or meet their beneficial uses, tourists move on to the next destination(s). The BVI must protect and preserve its natural and built attractions.

For the past 30 years or so my family has spent upwards of $10,000 a week for our annual BVI vacations so on the face of it an additional $10 per person should not make a difference. BUT this constant attitude that the government can just soak their long term visitor base to cover their financial incompetence while ignoring the damage that the cruise ship trade is doing both to the environment and our experiences as long term visitors is beginning to enter into our decision to possibly give Cuba or some other islands a try.

Maybe if the government released a few audit reports so we could see who’s pockets all this cash is ending up in might make a difference.

$10,000 a week is not that much. Let’s say a family of four. $3000 for airfare. $5000 for a villa or $5000 to $15000 for a bare boat. Then add food and drinks. You can burn through that $10,000 easily. It is done every week hundreds of times. Last time I checked you can sail those boats out of there.

An average family of 5-8 tourists on a boat from most charter companies pay upwards of several thousand dollars for the boat without food captain or tips just to set the record straight Peter – Villas are not cheap either so don’t confuse Necker with a lower to medium fee charter boat

@Peter… Peter does not have a clue about what he is spurting… Easy to spend $10K per week in the BVI: place to stay, restaurants, bars, entertainment, liquor, food, taxi, ferry. Easy peasy. Go sit down Peter!

That is all this money stuff is about. Forget better roads, health care, environment. This money is for the big share out amongst friends when the airport starts and the money flows out to the lucky few.

It will not be $150 Million when it is over but $800 Million collected from anywhere or anyone and passed into the pockets of a few whilst we get a substandard $100Million dollar airport upgrade that can take just two types of aircraft from 2 airports in mainland US.

Yeah we look like special needs because you guys just robbing and stealing from us the taxpayers to fund your own ideals, but didn’t we elect you all to help us and to keep the country safe, stable and prosperous but this Government is doing the opposite, you are introducing new taxes and fees while increasing already established taxes and fees.

The taxpayers can’t make it fast enough and you already finding ways to take it from us. This injustice needs to be protested, Have a heart!

.#1 – I think that will deter visitors to the region especially if you’re charging criseships an extra $10/person to come here.
#2 – if it is included in the cost of tickets by air and/or sea does that mean we as locals will be paying it every time we go to St Thomas or leave by air too? That will really add up over a year. Not a good idea!!!
—–why not just increase the departure fee to non-residents by $10 and exclude the cruise passengers. Keep the local rate at $20 from the airport/$15 ferry….increase it to $30 for visitors.

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